Strange Retail Experiences
I'm home in Michigan this week, but it's not without adventure. Consider what happened as I ran some errands today:
1. I went to an office supplies store (national chain; will protect its identity) to buy some paper. They were running a sale - 2 reams for $10. The price for a box of 5 reams: $29.99. (Quick math note: the reams in the box were being sold for $6 each.) So I asked an associate whether I could buy a box of 5 plus one ream for $30 total. To my surprise he said, "No," and rambled on about the difference in SKU numbers. Whatever, I thought. I then loaded ten reams from the shelf, being sure to clear all the reams from the front part of the shelves so that the associate would have to restock the shelves. (Not my best moment, but my small protest against "the man".) I then went over to the copy center at the back of the store and asked for an empty box. The lady said that there were no boxes available. Disappointed, I went to the front and paid for my purchase. As the cashier reached for a bag I blurted out, "I wish I could have had a box." To my surprise the cashier said, "Do you want me to get a box for you?" Stunned, I replied in the affirmative. He left his post, walked all the way to the back of the store and returned with a paper box that perfectly fit my ten reams. If not for that cashier, I would have been a little more than perturbed as I walked out of the place. Instead, I was pretty happy about my savings and thankful that at least one person in the store understood good customer service.
2. After the office supply fiasco, I headed over to Caribou Coffee for a quick cup of something warm on this overcast, drizzly day in the mid-50s (I miss Hawaii!). I asked for a small coffee, and the cashier informed me that while the small was $1.80, there was a special on the medium size for only $1.00 plus tax! I relented and ordered a medium. While he was filling my cup, I fumbled around in my pocket for a dime. With no change in my pocket, I pulled a second dollar bill from my wallet. "One dollar and six cents," he announced as he slid my coffee across the counter. I sheepishly handed him the two $1 bills. To my surprise, he handed me back a dollar and reached into the "Tips" cup for 6 cents. How cool was that? I was so impressed by his complete consideration for me that I put that second $1 bill in the Tips cup. We exchanged "Thank-yous" as I left with a warm cup of coffee.
In this day and age of robotic, nonsensical decisions being dictated by impersonal corporations and boards and brought to life through lock-step middle management, it was refreshing to see two young men rise above it all and provide the genuine human touch that we were created to share with one another.
1. I went to an office supplies store (national chain; will protect its identity) to buy some paper. They were running a sale - 2 reams for $10. The price for a box of 5 reams: $29.99. (Quick math note: the reams in the box were being sold for $6 each.) So I asked an associate whether I could buy a box of 5 plus one ream for $30 total. To my surprise he said, "No," and rambled on about the difference in SKU numbers. Whatever, I thought. I then loaded ten reams from the shelf, being sure to clear all the reams from the front part of the shelves so that the associate would have to restock the shelves. (Not my best moment, but my small protest against "the man".) I then went over to the copy center at the back of the store and asked for an empty box. The lady said that there were no boxes available. Disappointed, I went to the front and paid for my purchase. As the cashier reached for a bag I blurted out, "I wish I could have had a box." To my surprise the cashier said, "Do you want me to get a box for you?" Stunned, I replied in the affirmative. He left his post, walked all the way to the back of the store and returned with a paper box that perfectly fit my ten reams. If not for that cashier, I would have been a little more than perturbed as I walked out of the place. Instead, I was pretty happy about my savings and thankful that at least one person in the store understood good customer service.
2. After the office supply fiasco, I headed over to Caribou Coffee for a quick cup of something warm on this overcast, drizzly day in the mid-50s (I miss Hawaii!). I asked for a small coffee, and the cashier informed me that while the small was $1.80, there was a special on the medium size for only $1.00 plus tax! I relented and ordered a medium. While he was filling my cup, I fumbled around in my pocket for a dime. With no change in my pocket, I pulled a second dollar bill from my wallet. "One dollar and six cents," he announced as he slid my coffee across the counter. I sheepishly handed him the two $1 bills. To my surprise, he handed me back a dollar and reached into the "Tips" cup for 6 cents. How cool was that? I was so impressed by his complete consideration for me that I put that second $1 bill in the Tips cup. We exchanged "Thank-yous" as I left with a warm cup of coffee.
In this day and age of robotic, nonsensical decisions being dictated by impersonal corporations and boards and brought to life through lock-step middle management, it was refreshing to see two young men rise above it all and provide the genuine human touch that we were created to share with one another.
